License plate readers (LPR) are proving their worth and exceeding expectations in law enforcement agencies across the country. The technology, roughly a decade old, is quickly gaining in popularity. It assists with many basic day-to-day law enforcement functions related to checking license plate registrations. LPR increases agency efficiency and statistics have shown that the use of LPR technology keeps officers and citizens safer. Why doesn’t every law enforcement agency use LPR technology? One reason is that despite government grant money, license plate reader funds can sometimes be hard to come by with a price tag of approximately $20,000 for a two-camera system, depending on the manufacturer.

With the success of LPR technology across the country, it’s easy to see why most agencies not yet deploying LPR technology are considering their options for plate reader investment. The Mobile Plate Hunter-900® ALPR, developed and manufactured by ELSAG North America, reads license plates on moving or stationary cars at the rate of up to 1,800 per minute. Specially engineered cameras are either mounted on police cars or to fixed structures such as poles or gates and are aimed at license-plate-height. If a camera reads a license plate number that’s included on the LPR system’s database of suspect vehicles, audible and visual alarms are broadcast to a computer either in the police car or at a command center. Information collected at the time of a “read” on a suspect vehicle includes a photo of the license plate, date, time and GPS coordinates. Police know exactly which car caused the alarm and its location.

Fortunately, a new trend in funding is emerging in today’s budget-busting economy—corporate LPR investment. Over the last several years, there have been numerous accounts of companies donating funds to local law enforcement agencies expressly for the purchase of LPR technology. Corporations have also ‘gifted’ a system as goodwill for communities which they and their employees call home. In April 2011, Constellation Energy purchased ELSAG’s MPH-900® for Maryland’s Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.

Also in Maryland, the city of Bowie received money from both Wal-mart and Target for the purpose of procuring license plate recognition technology. Wal-mart also donated money to the Lawrence, IN Police Department to help with the purchase of the agency’s first LPR system after an officer was killed by a driver in a stolen vehicle. Wal-mart has created a Community Grant Fund, which is available to law enforcement agencies and can be used as license plate reader funds.

Insurance companies also offer a good example of corporate LPR investment. Notably in Arizona, several have purchased LPR systems for their local police agencies to increase the chances of recovering stolen vehicles before claims are paid. “We do everything we can to help our customers find funding solutions for our systems,” said Mark Windover, CEO of ELSAG. “Insurance companies are increasingly willing as the return on investment is justified time and again.”

Regardless of industry, any company with a corporate responsibility program might consider a license plate reader investment. Donations toward local law enforcement’s public safety efforts improve communities and, ultimately, many bottom lines as well.

For more information about ELSAG’s License Plate Reader technology and agency’s who are seeking LPR funding, contact ELSAG today.www.elsag.com//